Ideas about artificial intelligence and automata have existed for over 2,000 years in Greek mythology. Talos (‘Τάλως’) – the first robotic-like creature in mythology – is certainly an intriguing example. His name is connected to the god Zeus, as on the island of Crete, Zeus is also known as Talios, and in ancient Greek dialect, Talos was also a name for the sun.
The giant robot Talos was brought to life in the fantasy mythological film 1963, Jason and the Argonauts. A 17-inch (43 cm) model of Talos was created by animator and special effects artist Ray Harryhausen.
According to Greek mythology, Talos was not a human but an automated robot created by the god Zeus himself. Another version of Greek mythology attributes his creation to Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking. In other versions, Talos is said to be the son of Cres and Hephaestus. Created by man rather than born from nature, the idea of Talos was first mentioned by Hesiod around 700 BCE.
Talos was the sun god of Crete and was said to be made of bronze. A single vein, starting from his neck and running down to his ankle, carried his life blood – liquid metal – and a nail was fixed on each ankle to prevent the liquid metal from leaking out. Descriptions of Talos on coins and in various paintings depict him with wings in some instances, while others show him without.
Talos was given by Zeus to Minos, the king of Crete, to protect Crete from any invaders; however, according to the ancient Greek author Apollonius Rhodius, Talos was a gift from Zeus to Europa to protect her and her children, whom she later gave to King Minos.
Description of the giant god Talos equipped with a stone on the back of a silver coin from Phaistos, Crete, dating back to around 300 to 270 BCE.
Talos and His Mission: Protecting the Island of Crete from Its Enemies
Plato claimed that Talos protected the island of Crete by circling the island three times a day. Considering Crete is the largest island in Greece, circling it three times a day would be a monumental task, suggesting that Talos was either a giant creature or had other means of transportation, such as flying, which may explain why he is sometimes depicted with wings.
Whenever any enemy ships approached Crete, Talos would hurl massive stones and destroy the ships from afar. If the enemy managed to reach the land of Crete, Talos would heat his body to an unusual degree and kill the intruders.
Scene depicting Talos confronting the crew of the Argo from the film Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
However, protecting the island of Crete was not his only duty. Talos also had to ensure that all residents on the island adhered to the divine laws. To fulfill this task, three times a year, he would visit all the villages on the island carrying metal tablets inscribed with the divine laws.
Talos protected the island of Crete for many years until he was ultimately defeated by Jason and the Argonauts, of course, not by weapons but by cunning. When Jason and the Argonauts approached Crete, Medea, a sorceress, subdued Talos by talking to him and using spells, convincing him to remove the nails from his ankles. Consequently, the liquid metal spilled out, and Talos died.
The death of Talos depicted on a 5th-century BCE Greek vase. (Forzaruvo94)
Fact in the Legend of Talos
History has shown us that some myths, such as the story of Troy, evolved from real events that witnesses could not comprehend and perhaps could not explain. One way for witnesses to relay records of those events was to use language and descriptions fitting their contemporary understanding of the world, knowledge, and beliefs.
Could the tale of Talos actually be based on reality? And if so, what exactly was Talos? Is it possible that Talos was actually a spacecraft, a mechanical device, or even extraterrestrial? The descriptions certainly align with some type of mechanical flying device – made of bronze with wings, capable of circling a large expanse of land three times a day and firing some kind of weapon at enemy ships.
What about the vein running along Talos’s body carrying his life blood? Mythology suggests that the spillage of this liquid caused Talos’s death. Some believe this is an ancient description of an extraterrestrial spacecraft fueled by some form of liquid. Meanwhile, the idea of a giant automated robot that could heat up extremely hot, throw stones at ships, and leak life fluids has been interpreted by others as a reference to Talos representing a volcanic eruption.
Currently, answers to these questions remain elusive. But whatever the answers may be, Talos remains a captivating and mysterious story found in Greek mythology. The tale of Talos is not the only myth exploring the idea of artificial intelligence and science fiction, as they also appear in the stories of Medea, the craftsman Daedalus, Prometheus, and Pandora. The notion of these robotic beings existed long before technology actually made them a reality. As Adrienne Mayor stated, “myth reinforces the notion that imagination is the spirit that bridges mythology and science.”
